“Senator Warner and I jointly recommended Justice Barbara Keenan to serve on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals based on her exceptional qualifications and comprehensive legal experience in the Commonwealth,” Webb said in a news release. “Justice Keenan has received the highest ratings from leading bar associations, and I know that, if confirmed, she will continue her distinguished record of service in this new capacity.”

Keenan, 59, has been a judge since age 29 and has been a member of the Supreme Court since 1991. She was the first justice to sit at all four levels of the Virginia court system. If nominated and confirmed, Keenan would be the first woman on the 4th Circuit from Virginia.

The nomination for the 4th Circuit vacancy must be confirmed by the Senate.